Health & Fitness • Page 156

@phaynes12 @OwainGlyndwr


Thank you both for the feedback, it's exactly what i was wanting to see.


I have a solid amount of lifting experience. I did crossfit for a while so I've done lots of barbell stuff which I really really enjoy. I've lifted on and off throughout my life, just never something long lasting and consistent.


My idea is have 5 days of lifting, then end those days with some type of cardio everytime, usually the stairmaster, i've also been using an app that helps me with interval training for running on the treadmill.

I do plan on going every single day, or if i don't for those 2 other days just do extended cardio days and no lifting at all.

I'd imagine having those cardio only days 3 days apart or so would be wise just so there is some extra rest and recovery.

I'll be honest I have no idea what push and pull mean lol, I always see it and can prob give a logical assumption but i'm not sure.

A silly fear I always have is like 'omg what if I totally forget to target a very important muscle/area'.

I just want to make sure I cover all bases.


Separating things by just lower and upper sounds simple and ideal to me when I think about it.

So would something like this be feasible?

Mon - Upper/Cardio
Tues - Lower/ Cardio
Weds Extended Cardio only
Thurs - Upper/Cardio
Fri - Lower/Cardio
Sat - Extended Cardio only
Sun - Upper/Cardio

then so on and so on.

 

Seems like a really reasonable schedule dude! If you're adding some weight here, adding some reps there, decreasing rest time sometimes, and trying new lifts other times, you could keep at that schedule for a good long time. People get big and strong and lean just by sticking with it over a long period of time.

The background in Crossfit is going to be helpful. Though I would try to forget the whole notion of "feel the burn"/do metcons until you puke, haha. Not that that doesn't have value, but again, most strength/muscle gains are just going to be incremental over the long haul. You don't have to feel completely broken down after a lifting session to see improvement. In fact, if you're lifting 5x/week and you're taking it seriously, most of your sessions should leave you feeling pretty spry! I'd say once a week you probably want a lifting session that leaves you feeling sore and wiped out, and once a week you want one that feels almost too easy, and the other three should just be pretty standard.

Side note, the Crossfit WODs are really great conditioning workouts. One thing that might be helpful is to think of conditioning as a separate thing from both cardio and lifting. For cardio, do things like run, bike, walk. For conditioning, do things like barbell/kettlebell complexes, circuit training, sprints, stairstepper, HIT stuff. (Basically pick something that sucks and do it for longer than you want to.) And for lifting, focus on big compound movements and barbell lifts and then tack on anything in isolation you feel like, but make sure the focus of lifting is lifting, not "sweating" or "feeling the burn" or something. All three categories will feed off each other, with conditioning have a huge effect on your capacity to train.

Push and pull are just used to describe how the muscles contract haha. If you go by the fundamental human movements I listed before (which I would if I were you, you should make sure you cover your bases), then you've got:

push: bench press, military press, pushups, dips, and all their variations
pull: pullups, curls, rows
hinge: deadlift, kettlebell swing, hip thrust, good mornings
squat: squats in all their varieties
loaded carries: pick something up and move with it and put it down haha

But thinking of things in terms of upper/lower works really well too, I'd just keep an eye on what exercises you're selecting so that you're not just hammering away at one specific movement and neglecting the others.

I also wouldn't worry about missing out on a specific body part or muscle group. Especially if you focus on big compound movements—if you're doing bench, press, squat, deadlift, kettlebell work, and bodyweight stuff every week, you're pretty much good to go across the board. Toss in some curls or ab work when you feel like it, do some barbell complexes or shore up weak points, but you'll get 90% of what you want just by sticking with the main work.

Seems like you've got a good strategy!

Oh, and I'd always advocate for more walking, particularly since you're looking to drop some more fat still. Finish up your lifting and go for a walk after, just like a mile or two. It's pleasant, it's non-stressful, it keeps muscles warm and helps with recovery, it's sustainable, and it's one of the best things you can do outside the kitchen for fat loss.

 

Thank you a ton for all this input, i'll definitely be posting in here more often for questions and updates.

Yeah I am not a huge defender of crossfit, I loved it and the community but there are some definitely problematic attitudes there as far as like needing to feel like you need to go to the ER in order for it to feel like a 'good workout'.

I'm glad you pointed it out though, there is that part of me thats like, 'wait I don't feel any strain or pain, i'm not doing enough'. Thankfully in Crossfit you CAN go at your own pace and you're not really discouraged from that, but the overall mentality can and does lead to a lot of injuries. Especially when you are doing things like snatches in the middle of a METCON where your form inevitably is going to complete shit.

Yeah I think most important for me, and its stating the obvious, is just showing up everyday. I have the resources from the apps I use and my prior knowledge and what you all have shared to be able to figure things out and continue to learn what is most effective for me.

I'm moving on 9/1 and once I get a hang of what my budget will look like I may join a gym thats similar to crossfit but honestly much safer lol. I may even join the Crossfit thats like basically across the street from me. That would probably be best for me but it's also like 150 bucks a month (and that's with a 12 month commitment) so we shall see.

Definitely going to take it day by day and just make sure I show up. I have the time to do it so that's not a problem.

 

my week, if im being good and going the four days like i should, looks like this (gonna not include weight since everyone's different and you should go with what's comfortable for you)

push day (chest/triceps)
*barbell bench press
20 reps just the bar
12 reps, 10, 6, 4, 2, 1 and then 1 again. increasing weight by 10 lbs each set with the exception of the doubled final one
*dumbbell incline bench press
20 reps real light weight
12 reps, 8, 4 increasing 15lbs per hand each set
*dumbbell overhead press
12 reps, 10, 8, 6, 4 increasing 5lbs per hand each set
*triceps cable pushdown
12, 10, 8, 6 increasing 10lbs each set
*pushups
three sets to failure

pull day (back/biceps)
*cable lat pulldowns
12, 10, 8, 4 increasing 20lbs each set
*pull ups
i suck at these so i use the assisted machine and basically do 8 with a bunch of assistance, 6 with medium assistance, 4 with light assistance, and then to failure just regular pull ups
*bent over barbell row (i like to use a smith machine with this if the gym you find has one)
20 reps just the bar
12, 8, 6, 4 increasing 10lbs each set
*seated cable row
10, 8, 6, 4 increasing 10-15lbs each set (15 the last set)
*dumbbell bicep curls
10, 8, 6, 4 (counting one after each arm obviously so like 20, 16, 12, 8 if you're alternating) increasing 5lbs per arm each set. i also will split this half the number hammer curls and half regular curls to hit both parts of the bicep

leg day
*barbell squats (my friend constantly yells at me about too much reps here so maybe not the best lol)
20 reps just the bar
5, 5, 4, 4, 3, 3, 2, 2, 1, 1 increasing 10lbs each set (hit my PR today on the last one!!!!!)
*machine seated leg curl
15, 12, 10, 8, 4 increasing 20lbs each set
*horizontal leg press
12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 kind of a variety of increases here
*standing calf raises
15x3. first one ill do just body weight, next ill do real light dumbbell weights and last ill do medium dumbbell weight
*hanging knee raises
three sets to failure

combined upper body day
*incline barbell bench
20 reps just the bar
4, 4, 3, 3, 2, 2, 1, 1 increasing 10lbs each time you decrease in reps
*barbell bench
20 reps just the bar
4, 4, 3, 3, 2, 2, 1, 1 increasing 10lbs each time you decrease in reps
*cable lat pulldowns
12, 10, 8, increasing 20lbs each set
*dumbbell overhead press
12 reps, 10, 8, 6, 4 increasing 5lbs per hand each set
*dumbbell bicep curls
10, 8, 6, 4 increasing 5lbs per arm each set
*overhead tricep extension
12, 10, 8 increasing 10lbs (just holding one dumbbell with both hands) per set
*upright dumbbell row
12, 10, 8, 6 increasing 5lbs per hand each set
*dumbbell shrugs (holding dumbbells and literally just shrugging shoulders lol)
12, 14, 16 (yes increasing! lol) going up 5lbs per hand each set

 

Fuckin fantastic, thank you for laying that all out


Also forgot to mention about walking, walking is the root of my success, I live right next to a beautiful park and have walked there 3 to 5 miles a day for the last two years.

 

I have picked up running like I mentioned. I went a little too hard for like 4 days in a row, I know you’re supposed to rest especially running on hard ground but its made me think of investing in a solid pair of running shoes.

i have wide feet, and got these cheap cross trainers on amazon that are very comfy but yeah, they were cheap. They have remained in fantastic shape after months of use, but how important do yall think having heavily cushioned running shoes are? I read all types of stuff online.

I’m thinking of just getting a nice pair either way. Last thing I want is an injury.

 

my biggest as you’re starting out is keep it simple; 2 upper body work outs a week, 2 lower body. Something like M/Thurs upper, tues/Friday lower with 10k steps a day.

 

Good running shoes are a pretty individual thing. A good support cushioned run shoe would probably be a good idea and save the cross trainers for gym and walking. It’s just a question of whether you pronate, supernate, or have a neutral strike. You could also get a neutral trainer and add a stability insert if you need it.

Some models to consider would be:
Asics Novablast (Gel Nimbus for max cushion)
Brooks Ghost (Ghost max if you want max cushion)
Hoka Clifton (Bondi for max cushion)
New Balance Fresh Foam 880 (Fresh Foam x more v6 for max cushion, I believe)
Nike Pegasus (Vomero for the max cushion)
On cloudsurfer and cloudsurfer max, I think. I’m less familiar with On model names.
Saucony Ride (Hurricane for max cushion)

 

i'm a heavy runner, max support shoes are a godsend for longer runs. I have Nike Vomero 18s which are very comfortable. Pegasus Plus' are good no-frills daily trainers, too, but if you're looking for support/comfort, the Vomero's are hard to beat imo.

 

I will die on the hill that walking is the most beneficial thing one can do for themselves. Clears your mind. Gets your body working. Improves mind, body and soul. On days that I can’t work out or just don’t want to, I at least make sure I walk.

 

i have very flat feet and the brooks gts are the only running shoes that work for me

 

Absolutely, its legitimately my form of meditation every morning, I don't go a morning without at least a 2 mile walk, if its shitty outside I have a treadmill pad that does the trick.

 

I just did a peloton rock music walk and the playlist was elite and the walk was

I originally didn't want to exercise because I was tired but yellowcard gave me a second wind!

Sometimes I have to remind myself that I can do things while tired. Obviously I'm not going to push my body to injury for it, but if I'm feeling a bit sleepy and sluggish I can still do some form of movement even if it's not super high intensity, and most of the time I get at least a small energy boost during it.

 

2 miles is my minimum too except I go at night. Just kind of perfect way to unwind and let go of the stress of the day

 

Which model GTS? I think there a few. I think my wife has the Glycerin GTS.

 

adrenaline, sorry

 

All good I was just curious.

 

Second the Hoka Clifton. I just got a pair through Vinted after having my feets hurt in pretty much every single shoe I've owned ever.

I never understood what people meant when they'd say "it feels like walking on clouds" until I got these. Incredible, so comfy.

I'll never go back to flat sneakers/non-running shoes long term for walking (also interested in picking up running too), I think.

 

Hoka Clifton 9s (I think), on my fourth pair

 

asics superblast 2 the best light weight, cushioned run shoes ive used, shoes rule

 

I was a Brooks (Glycerin) guy until I became Hoka (Clifton) guy and now I’m on a roll with Saucony and have a pair each of the Ride, Triumph, and Endorphin Speed that I rotate through.

 

And here are my reviews of the gels I’ve tried over the past 2 weeks –

Hüma Chia Energy Gel: Not totally different from a traditional gel like Gu, but I liked the taste and texture of the Huma much better. No burning sensation in the back of my throat, no stomach troubles. Would recommend.

UCan Edge: Did not enjoy these. They did the job, and the texture was fine, but there’s a “sharpness” to the taste that made them unpleasant in the moment.

 

I know the conversation has moved on lol but I still wanted to chime back in with this. Seems like you've got a solid handle on options and a way forward. Definitely keep in mind that you shouldn't be burning yourself out with every workout. There's a time and place for that, but most workouts should just be "punching the clock," so to speak. And I would recommend writing down some goals—stuff you'd like to accomplish in the next 3–4 months, as well as the next 2–3 years or whatever. Then over time you can gear your training more toward those things.

I know @phaynes12 already gave an example of his workout schedule, which is super helpful. Wanted to throw mine into the mix since it can be valuable to contrast and get new ideas. Feel free to ignore if you want, haha. This is a generalized sample from last week, pretty typical of how I structure things.

Sunday
30 minutes yoga
Long walk (3+ miles)

Monday
Conditioning: 1500m row
Run: endurance focus (ie run without stopping for a set distance/time)
Lifting: bench/upper body focus
- main: incline bench, 3x8
- secondary: hands-together press, 2x8 then go for max reps at a heavy weight
- accessory: poundstone curls (1 set)
- accessory: leg curls 3x15
- accessory: pec flye 3x10
- complex: pick one, moderate weight, 5 reps, 3 rounds
- loaded carry: pick one, go about 10–12 laps
- bodyweight: 25–50 total reps
- agility/flexibility: pick one as needed
Walk: 1.5 miles

Tuesday
Conditioning: 10 minutes stairstepper
Run: speed focus (quick 1 mile, then run some more at whatever pace)
Lifting: squat/lower body focus
- main: belt squat 5x5
- secondary: good morning 3x10
- accessory: triceps ext 3x10
- accessory: calf raise 2x30
- accessory: machine row 3x10
- complex: pick one, moderate weight, 5 reps, 3 rounds
- loaded carry: pick one, go about 10–12 laps
- bodyweight: 25–50 total reps
- agility/flexibility: pick one as needed
Walk: 1 mile

Wednesday
30 minutes yoga
Long walk
Swim (leisure)

Thursday
Conditioning: 15 minutes stationary bike
Run: free run
Lifting: press/upper body focus
- main: strict press 3x10
- secondary: clean & press 5x5
- accessory: hang clean 5x5
- accessory: front squat 3x8
- accessory: pallof press 3x10
- complex: pick one, light weight, 8 reps, 3 rounds
- loaded carry: pick one, go about 10–12 laps
- bodyweight: 25–50 total reps
- agility/flexibility: pick one as needed
Walk: 1.5 miles

Friday
Conditioning: barbell WOD (Grace)
Extra conditioning: KB complex (10 rounds ABCs)
Run: distance focus (ie longer run)
Lifting: deadlift/lower body focus
- main: rack pull 3x10
- secondary: overhead squat 3x5
- accessory: lat raise 3x10
- accessory: zottmann curls 3x10
- accessory: leg press 4x25
Walk: 1.5 miles

Saturday
30 minutes yoga
15-mile bike ride
1 mile walk

Couple of notes. My goals right now are fat loss, increased work capacity, general strength improvements, improved running speed, and technique improvements in a wide variety of lifts, all in that order. So my routine is tailored toward encouraging those goals.

4 active training days, 3 active recovery days. If I skip stuff, move stuff around, change plans last minute, that's fine. These are just general guidelines. I figure if I hit about 80% of this stuff on any given week, I'm doing well. I also work in three-week phases, so for the first three weeks I'll do lower weights and higher reps, for the next three I'll go heavy weight and low reps, and the last three I'll do a mix/hit PRs/do challenges/whatever. Then I reassess and start over. As a note, I've been training for a long time, so I'm well beyond a normal linear periodization approach (adding 5 pounds per week or whatever), so this kind of waved approach works really well for me, but ymmv.

For conditioning, I generally like rowing, stairstepper, hill sprints, biking, and then barbell/kettlebell complexes and WODs and other challenges. I have a huge list and just cycle through them, sometimes shooting for PRs but mostly just getting the work in. (That's a pretty good principle overall. I PR something almost every week, but sometimes that's a squat max and way more often it's my 17-rep max on the french press or something haha.)

For running, my mileage has dropped way off (because I'm lazy lol), but I was running about 15–20 mpw following this schedule and seeing good improvements across the board, at least by my standards. Serious runners know how to actually program their running haha, but this setup has worked for me.

For lifting, here's how things break down.

Main: I take the four main lifts (bench, squat, press, deadlift) and come up with a whole bunch of variations for each of them, plus a few other things like rows, cleans, snatches, and good mornings. I just cycle through, so on a bench day I might bench or incline or decline or hands-together or larsen or reverse grip or whatever. I pick a weight that feels like a good working weight for that day, usually pretty submaximal but still a good challenge, and put in the work.

Secondary: another main lift/variation but lower weight, higher reps. Usually complementary to the main lift, but as you can see, I have no qualms about mixing upper/lower or whatever. Just trying to be well rounded and shore up weak points.

Accessory: all the other stuff haha, I just have a big list and cycle through. Not a lot of thought on these.

Complex: I have a list (mostly barbell, some KBs), and I vary it every time in terms of weight, reps, and rounds. I also omit these (and the other things below) on Fridays because Fridays have extra conditioning, deadlifts, and long runs, so I cut myself some slack.

Loaded carry: same idea, I try to do something different every time. With these and complexes, they're cornerstones of my workouts and hugely important, but the details aren't.

Bodyweight: I like chins, dips, pushups, situps, ab wheels, GHRs, and burpees. Cycle through.

Agility/flexibility: stuff like ball throws, jumps, skipping rope, etc. Sometimes these are a warmup or just to stay loose.

Again, this stuff is all pretty flexible and is tailored to my goals or experience, but honestly, as some general guidelines, it's not bad in terms of demonstrating what I think are some fundamentals of strength training. Hopefully there's something in here that is valuable to you (and anyone else reading this) as you're putting together your workout routines. Oh, and I have about a 2-hour window in which to take care of this stuff, and it generally works. 10 minutes conditioning, 30 minutes running, 30 minutes lifting, 30 minutes walking, give or take a little to account for travel time etc.

And sometimes I just hang out in the sauna for half an hour and call it good instead, haha.

Hope it helps! Keep posting here as you get going, and feel free to ask me directly if you have any questions you think I might help with.

 

Man my routine is nothing compared to some of you!

I go on vibes lmao. I generally rotate whether I do upper or lower body. Sometimes I intend to walk but get a second wind and do more of a run or jog. Other times I intend to run but end up walking. I try to be consistent. It's almost 6pm here and I can't decide if I want to exercise or not today. Oh Sometimes I do a dance workout too.

Sometimes I don't feel like doing the workout I have planned in my head. I feel any movement is better than none, so I just try my best. If it's between stalling because I don't want to do the workout in my head and then ultimately not exercising at all versus just doing what I feel like but maybe isn't the most optimal for "gains" I'd rather just do the form of movement I feel like.

Yesterday was probably my most high intensity workout since recovering from a cold I had. I did a 30 min full body dumbbell workout and a 30 min walk/jog mix. Today my butt is sore from that lol so if I workout today I'll do upper body and go on a walk.

I hate high intensity cardio generally. I wish I could vibe with distance running but I just can't

My goals are to be active, do regular movement, increase endurance, and get stronger. My lack of routine has helped me make progress towards those goals! I'm sure if I had a more optimal routine I'd make progress faster, but this is more sustainable for me which makes it the best for me! Sometimes I consider hiring a personal trainer but idk

 

Some of that is honestly just down to goals haha. I compete in strength sports, so I've got specific goals that are tied to specific progress in the weight room. I do a lot based on vibes, but it's all within a framework of what I know works for me and will help me achieve those goals.

Beyond that, it really does come back to the "all movement is good" idea you're saying. I know what types of physical exercise and training I'm willing to do, which ones have a direct and measurable benefit for me, and which ones are sustainable, and then I just build them into my routine. That's a big thing for me too. I have a sedentary job and lots of sedentary hobbies; if I don't deliberately design a lifestyle that includes exercise across all the modalities that are important to me, and treat it like brushing my teeth or getting dressed in the morning, then I just won't do it, and I won't stumble across it in my daily life either.

But yeah "optimal" is the most overused nonsense word in the industry. The human body isn't an optimal system anyway; what's optimal is actually doing something and keeping at it over a long period of time.